


Different

by orphan_account



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Cheating, M/M, Misunderstandings, Poor Peter Parker, Tony Stark Gets a Hug, Tony Stark Has Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:27:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24137341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Tony's distant. Peter's sad.
Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark
Comments: 8
Kudos: 103





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> yoink hope you enjoy!!

Peter doesn’t know who Tony is anymore. Where they once laid together, in a bed of silk sheets and rose petals, Peter lays alone. He uses a pillow to muffle his sobs, but that does little to halt Friday’s bittersweet ask of, “Would you like me to inform Boss that you’re in distress.”

The answer’s always no.

Tony’s cold and distant. His eyes gloss over with disinterest whenever Peter talks. Their conversations are short, to the point, because Tony makes it clear he doesn’t have time to spend with Peter. 

Tony’s always out or always in the lab.

Peter used to be welcomed into the lab with open arms, but more and more recently, Tony treats Peter like a burden. Even when Peter’s working on things, Tony treats him like an unwanted science class partner. 

When it first began, Peter - wrongly - assumed things would get better. That their love would topple all obstacles. Now, Peter is beginning to wonder if Tony ever loved him at all.

The nights got later, the mornings lonelier.

Tony leaves, another half-hearted explanation on his lips, “It’s a meeting, Pep’s been on my ass about it.” 

Peter watches, helpless as Tony disappears from his vision.

When Peter asks, Pepper says there aren’t any meetings scheduled. He doesn’t give her an answer when she asks why. 

Why would Tony lie about a meeting?

Maybe Pepper just mixed up the dates? 

Maybe Tony wasn’t lying when he said:  _ I love you, Peter, nothing will ever change that _


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Peter talk about their relationship and what they need to do moving forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope this is good!!

Slowly, Peter feels consciousness flooding his senses. He moans, grabbing a pillow to block the morning sunlight from his eyes. He’s going to spend the rest of the day sleeping, he decides.

He’s seconds away from falling back into a peaceful sleep when there’s a small knock on the door.

Peter whines - like he used to when he didn’t want to go to school, but May forced him anyway - and looks to see Tony standing there.

“What do you want?” Peter asks. He doesn’t mean to sound so prickly, but he just wants to sleep and pretend that everything’s okay again.

Tony sighs, crossing his arms, “I think we should talk.”

“And I think that ship’s already sailed,” Peter says.

Tony closes his eyes and bows his head.

Peter sighs, “What?”

“I don’t think that this is working out…” Tony says. His eyes are averted, staring daggers at their shared wardrobe.

Peter nods, “Look at me, Tony, and say that again.”

Tony looks down. He lets out a sharp exhale.

“Go on,” Peter prods.

Tony looks at Peter - looking somewhat like a guilty puppy - and says, “I don’t think that this is working out.”

“You didn’t even try to make it work,” Peter whispers. 

Tony huffs, “I did everything I could for you, Peter!”

“Really? Peter says in hysterical disbelief, “You mean like staying out for hours at a time and ignoring my calls and texts and pretending like I never even existed? Hm? Is that what you did for me, Tony? Or was it the lying about meetings? What were you doing, Tony, all those times you were at a ‘meeting’?”

Tony sighs, “Are you accusing me of something?”

“Maybe,” Peter says.

“I never cheated on you, Peter,” Tony says.

Peter chokes on a sob, “How do I know that?”

“I would never do that to you, my bambino,” Tony says, voice soft. He walks up to where Peter’s on the bed and pulls him into a hug,

Peter’s sobbing in Tony’s chest. He feels hysterical. A part of him wants to hit Tony and the other part wants to kiss him.

“Then why did you lie?” Peter asks through weak hiccups.

Tony sighs, rubbing small circles in Peter’s back, “I was going out and getting drunk.”

Something in Peter breaks and he begins crying so hard he can barely breathe. He clings to Tony, desperately trying to find some happiness.

“Why?” Peter asks with a broken voice. 

Tony sighs, “I’ve been freaking out about some things and I didn’t know what to do, so I went back to doing what I do best: drinking. And I didn’t want you to know, so I lied and hid it away, but… I don’t know - I should’ve told you, but I couldn’t and you already seemed so… sad. I couldn’t do that to you.”

Peter sighs, “You not telling me made it worse.”

“I see that now,” Tony says.

Peter smiles, “We can get help, Tony. We don’t have to split up.”

Tony pulls from the hug, giving Peter an incredulous, but hopeful, look: “You still want to be with me?”

“Of course I still want to be with you,” Peter says, “and I think some therapy might be good too.” 


End file.
